KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.
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A Blue Springs restaurant known for its community generosity has launched a new program to help feed anyone in need.
Sandy's Restaurant, which previously gained attention for its free summer lunch delivery program, has partnered with the You Matter Movement to create the "Hot One" chip initiative. The program uses simple poker chips as a way for community members to purchase meals for others.
Here's how it works: People can buy a "Hot One" chip for $10 at Sandy's Restaurant. They can either leave the chip at the restaurant or take it with them to give directly to someone in need of a hot meal. When someone redeems the chip, they can choose from the restaurant's Hot One meal specials for breakfast or lunch/dinner.
Bobby Hines is the General Manager for Sandy's and the co-founder of the You Matter Movement. He said the community response has been overwhelming since the program launched in January.
"The Blue Springs community, especially, always shows up for us, and that's huge," Hines said. "We had a lady walk in... she had $50 in her hand. She said, Are you guys the ones with the chips? And the server just said, Yeah, we are. And she handed her $50 said "here."
The program started with 100 chips, and Hines said they're now serving about 25 to 30 Hot One meals per week.
"Just because people aren't homeless doesn't mean that their cabinets are full of groceries, and that's what we get. We have one family that we're feeding probably two to three times a week, and it's a family of five," Hines said.
The You Matter Movement and Sandy's Restaurant had been planning to launch this type of community feeding program for some time before bringing the Hot One chip concept to life. Hines said he wants to see this grow and expand, stating it isn't going anywhere.
Sandy's Restaurant is located at 1255 SW 7 Highway in Blue Springs. It is open Tuesdays through Sundays.
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